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Brian Smith, spokesman for the state Liquor and Cannabis Board, said his agency decided to require the warning labels to help distinguish marijuana-infused candies, chocolates and soft drinks from typical sweets.

“A lot of them look like a regular package. We want it to be easily identified as a product containing marijuana,” Smith said.

If edibles come with a special label, Smith said, it’s easier for parents to teach children the products are off-limits. Under Washington state’s legal marijuana law, only adults 21 and older can consume the drug recreationally.

The labels also are designed to help remind adults to keep marijuana edibles out of the reach of children, said Arti Patel, a health education and outreach specialist at the Washington Poison Center.

“It could cause a fatal overdose for children,” Patel said.

The emergency phone number on the warning label — 800-222-1222 — can provide free expert advice in case of a suspected overdose, Patel said.